This grape based drink is mixed with
Plymouth Gin, Plymouth Sloe Gin, Chambord and fresh apple juice. Served
with grapes, this Martini is shaken, not stirred.

The cocktail was chosen by a panel of
judges, the other cocktails’ inspirations were Eccles cake, Manchester
tart, Boddingtons and honey.

Manchester Martini

The judges were:

Helen Ramsbottom, Forever Manchester
Ambassador, Managing Director of A Foot in the Door and Publisher of
Bitten magazine

Deputy Editor of Manchester Confidential,
David Blake, who is a regular critic of the Manchester food and drink
scene.

Colin Knott has spent the last 25 years
working his way up a series of cocktail and flair bars. He has been
involved in opening over 50 bars in the UK and has consulted for many
restaurants and hotels, including TGI Fridays Master Bartender
Program.

Manchester Martini

Jennifer Stuart of Gusto Manchester says

“We have chosen to do this because it’s
such a fun engaging way to support such a great, local charity. Our bar
team are so excited to create the cocktails which will be judged and there’s
already healthy competition surrounding the winning cocktail! We’re really
looking forward to having the cocktail on the bar throughout May and can’t
wait to serve as many as possible to the people of Manchester.”

Nick Massey, Chief Exec of Forever
Manchester says:

“It’s great to have Gusto Manchester on
board raising money for us in such a creative way. Our staff have tasted
and enjoyed the cocktail on sale and we’re sure it’ll be a top seller, so we
can reinvest the money raised back into the communities of Greater
Manchester.”

The cocktail will cost £7.50 with a £1.00
from each one going to Forever Manchester.

Some of the people at the event

I got to try the cocktail for myself at
the pre-launch event and had the fortune to get a 241 offer and I really liked
the flavours. It was a nice surprise to find a ginbased cocktail as so many ted
to be vodka (no bad thing) to whiskey (not for me thank you) based. The
cocktail is strong enough in flavour to know that it is a cocktail but very
drinkable and goes down very easily.

I know I will be on the lookout for other
gin based cocktails in the future.